Read the summary and the most important questions on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics An Integrated Approach | 9781316123324 | M. Scott Shell

• 2 Equilibrium and entropy

• 2.1 What is equilibrium?

• Which three statements hold for the conditions at thermodynamic equilibrium?

  1. Properties do not change with time.
  2. The history of the system doesn't matter.
  3. The properties of copies of the same system are identical.

• What is meant by average properties?

  1. The average properties are macroscopic properties such as pressure or mean density.
  2. The properties are measured over a much larger time frame than molecular movement time scale.

• What are microscopic properties?

  Microscopic properties only apply to one molecule.

• What are macroscopic properties?

  Properties that are on the characteristics of the bulk.

• Why is thermodynamics not purely about heat and energy?

  Thermodynamics deals with the equilibrium properties of a system. Heat and energy are merely ways for molecules to interact.

• 2.2 Classical thermodynamics

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• Which macroscopic variables are a consequence of equilibrium?

  Heat, Temperature and Entropy

• Why is the term 'disorder' wrong for entropy?

  There is an elegant mathematics behind entropy and there are enough examples to counter the notion that higher entropy leads to more disorder. Such as the folding of enzymes.

• Where does the internal energy come from?

  The internal energy exists from the kinetic and potential energies in all molecules in the system.

• What is the difference between the function for entropy for a single-component isolated system and a multi-component system?

  For a single-component system
  For a multi-component system

• Why does entropy depend on E, V and N?

  Because in an isolated system these are very constant, because there is no heat, volume or mass transfer.